Therapeutic apparatus



- 0'. J. CUNNINGHAM THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed 001,. 25 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 16, 1923. 1,471,144

0. J. CUNNINGHAM I THERAPEUTIC APBARATUS Filed Oct. 25 192p 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I awucwlfde OJCuJZ/Z Oct. 16 1,923.

.' J. CUNNINGHAM THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS 1920 SShuetrSheet 3 Filed Oct. 25

Patented a. to; 923.

OFFICE.

ORYAL J. CUNNINGHAM, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS.

Application filed October 25, 1920. Serial No. 419,380.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVAL J. CUNNING- HAM, citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Therapeutic Apparatus, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to therapeutic apparatus for the treatment of various diseases or ailments, and the object is to produce apparatus whereby patients can be offectively treated for certain diseases and physical conditions, without any sacrifice of comfort and without endangering or materially inconveniencing them.

With this general object in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section of apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale, of the tank element of the apparatus, the tank being broken away at certain points.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line III-III of Figure 2.

- Figure 4 is a cross section on the same scale as F i ure 3, but taken on the line IV--IV of Figure 2.

Fi re 5 is an enlarged detail section showlng the universally-adjustable nozzle construction of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings in which similar reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the Figures, 1 indicates a tank arranged horizontally and preferably of cylindrlcal form and. of proper material and construction to resist fairly high internal pressure. In its referred construction, the tank will be 0 size or capacity for accommodating a large number of patients simultaneously, and it will likewise be divided by partitions 2 into a plurality of compartments,.two of such'comartments being shown with a vestibule 3 etween them, and said compartments, are

preferably sub-divided to produce a plurallty of sub-compartments 4 to provide for a reasonable degree of privacy to the occupants of the sub-compartments.

Each partition 2 is provided with an opening 5, and a door or pair of doors 6, for closing the opening with an air-tight relation. The doors shown within the compartments are essential, but the other or outer doors are functionless except when the pressure in the vestibule exceeds that of the compartments or either of them, in which event the oute doors are necessary to prevent equalization of pressure. They would also be necessary if it was desired to establish negative pressure in either compartment. The entrance to the vestibule 3 is controlled by a pair of doors 7, one located within and the other exterior to the tank, a plurality .of doors 7, being desirable for the reason set forth with respect to the compartments though ordinarily the door 7 will stand open.

Within each subcompartment is a convertible construction such as found in Pullman cars, that is to say there is a lower structure 9 which may constitute a pair" of seats or a bed, and an upper structure 10 constituting an upper berth, the latter being adapted to be swung, upward to inoperative position if desired, in order to give head room for a person or persons standing on the floor 11. The tank is provided with a central corridor 12, and bulls-eye windows 13 for each compartment, and said compartments are produced by the provision of vertical partitions 14 extendlng from the corridor to the wall of the tank, between the convertible constructions above mentioned.

A housing 15 incloses and is spaced from the tank to provide the chamber 16, through which air to cool the tank may be circulated as hereinafter explained, such air escaping through one or more ventilators 17 at the top of the housing, and the latter and the tank are mounted upon any suitable support or foundation as at 18. One of the partitions 14 of each main compartment, preferably that about mid-way the length of the compartment, is provided with a chamber or box 19 into which means may be located for the medication or heating of the air supplied to the tank, as hereinafter de scribed.

Extending in an are around the interior circumference of the tank and within the central partitions, which are made hollow for this purpose, are headers 20, commumeating with chambers 19, and extending longitudinally of the tank and near the wall thereof from saidheaders in both directions, are distributing pipes or conduits 21 the same respectively terminating within different sub-compartments and being equipped with double elbow nozzles 22, adJuStable universally for discharging air into the said sub-compartments in any desireddirection, in order that the occupants of the respective compartments shall receive fresh or uncontaminated air.

To supply the air to the chambers 19 and thence through the headers 20 and distributing pipes, pipes 23 extend from a compressed air tank 24, one only being shown as connected to said tank. Air is supplied to the tank 24 at the top'thereof by preference, through a pipe 25 leading from the cylinder 26 of a compressor 27, which may be electrically or otherwise driven. The pressure in each compartment of the tank, can be regulated b means of a pipe 28 (only one appearingl leading from the tank to the atmosphere and each is equipped with a valve 29 actuated by a hand wheel 30 within the tank. At one end the tank is provided With plumbing fixtures as at 32, of the common or trapped type (not detailed), and leading from the fixtures to the exterior of the tank are discharge pipes 33, the same communicating with a septic tank 34 preferably buried underground and provided with a valve-controlled vent pipe 35, which is preferably slightly open at all times as a precautionary measure against gas flowing from the septic tank through the trapped fixtures, into the tank. The

septic tank is connected by a valve-controlled discharge pipe 36, to a sewer 37, and in practice said pipe 36 is opened occasionally, for the purpose of permitting the contents of the septic tank to drain into the sewer.

A suitably driven pump 38 is connected to the lower end of the compressed air tank 24 by a pipe 39, and discharges through a coil 40 and a pipe 41, into the upper end of the compressor tank 24 where pipe 41 is equipped with a spray nozzle 42. The tank is suitably charged with water for circulation by the ump, and the spray is intercepted by a Eaflle plate 43, located within the tank above the connection therewith of pipe 23, the arrangement being such pipe 47 operates the expander and is cooled by expansion therein. This cool air acts to chillthe coil 40 within casing 44, and the air then passes from the casing through the discharge pipe 48 to the interior of the housing '15, for the purpose of maintaining the temperature within the tank at a degree comfortable to the occupants thereof. In the cold season of the year the supply of air to the housing 15 may be dispensed with, or it may be warmed within the housing or before being supplied to the housing, in order to assist in raising the temperature within the tank.

In the practical operation of the apparatus described, the patients, dressed in their ordinary clothing, enter the tank and remain therein for a predetermined time subjected to a predetermined air pressure, it being understood that where there are two or more main com artments, the' patients therein may be sub ected to different pressures. In each of the main compartments there will be a trained nurse familiar with the operation of the apparatus to the extent at least of knowing or ascertaining whether or not the pressure is up to or be-. low that required, and the occupants of the tankmay transact business therein over the telephone, notshown. The compartments may also be electrically lighted for use when necessary. It will thus be seen that the whol y disregarding their social or business obligations. y

From the above descri tion it will be apparent that I have pro uced apparatus of the character set forth which operates efliciently and which may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the principle of construction involved or sacrificing any of the advantages of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Therapeutic apparatus, comprising a tank provided with a plurality of compart ments and a vestibule, doors controlling communication between the vestibule and said compartments and adapted to be held closed by-air pressure within the latter, and

atients may take treatments without means for supplying air under pressure to said compartments; said vestibule containing a door co-operating with one of the firstnamed doors to prevent accidental opening of the latter into its respective compartment should pressure he established in the vestibule equal to or greater than that of said compartment. I 2. Therapeutic apparatus, comprising a tank provided with a plurality of compartments and a vestibule, doors controlling communication between the vestibule and said compartments and adapted to-be held closed, by air pressure Within the latter, means for supplying air under pressure to said compartments; said. vestibule containing a door co-operating with one of the firstnamed doors to prevent accidental opening of the latter 'into its respective compartment should pressure be established in the vestibule equal to or greater than that in said compartment, and a valve-controlled conduit connecting said compartments.

3. Therapeutic apparatus, comprising a tank provided with a plurality of compartments and a vestibule, doors controlling communication between the vestibule and said compartments and ada ted to be held closed by air pressure wit in the latter, means for supplying air under pressure to said compartments; said vestibule containing a door co-operating with one of the firstnamed doors to prevent accidental opening of the latter into its respective compartment should pressure be established in the vestibule equal to or greater than that in said compartment, and inner and outer doors controllin the entrance to the vestibule.

4. T erapeutic apparatus, comprising a tank, a door opening into the tank, means for compressing air and discharging it in to the tank, means operable within the tank for controlling the air pressure therein, an expander operable by air under pressure from the tank, means for washing the air supplied to the tank, and means connected to the expander for utilizing the air therefrom to cool the air-Washing element.

5. Therapeutic apparatus, comprising a tank, a door opening into the tank, means for compressing air and discharging it into the tank, means operable within the tank for controlling the air pressure therein, an expander operable by air under pressure from the tank, means for washing the air supplied to the tank, a coil for the circulation of such means, and means for subject- .ing the coil to the cooling influence of air from the expander.

6. Therapeutic apparatus, comprising a tank, a door opening into the tank, means for compressing air and discharging it into the tank, means operable within the tank 4 -7. Therapeutic apparatus, comprising a ,tank, a door opening into thettank, means for compressing air and discharging it into the tank, means operable within the tank for controlling the air pressure therein, an

expander for co-operatingwith the compressor and operable by air under pressure from the tank, and a ventilated housing inclosing the tank and connected to said expander.

8. Therapeutic apparatus, comprislng a tank, a door opening into the tank, means for compressing air and discharging it into the tank, means operable within the tank for controlling the air pressure therein, an expander for co-operating with the compressor and operable by air under pressure from the tank, means for washing the air supplied to the tank, a housing inclosing and spaced from the tank and provided with one or more ventilators, and means for conducting the air passing from the expander, into said housing.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto alfix my signature.

ORVAL J. CUNNINGHAM. 

